CallaFirestormBW
Posts: 3651
Joined: 6/29/2008 Status: offline
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I think that a lot of the information out there about what constitutes 'appropriate' behavior in WIITWD (or any group of people who share some major defining variable of their lives) can be very helpful for those who are newly discovering their interests and figuring out how they fit -themselves- into a new set of ideas and practices, and fit those ideas and practices into them. The pattern is seen in political, religious, educational, and recreational communities, not just in the community of WIITWD. One of the things that historically marks maturity -- either maturity in general, or maturity within a sub-category like, say, participation in a community -- is that point at which one can say "Yes, I see all these ideas about the 'right' way to do this, but I know myself, and for me, -this- is what is "right", regardless of what other people may think." That capacity to integrate what one sees and hears and feels into oneself and express it again as a style of participation marks the point at which one begins to obtain "mastery" of a given set of ideas/concepts. Whether or not the commensurate skills are yet to be obtained, it is at this point that the individual is mature enough to make effective decisions about which pieces of 'advice' to take, and which to leave behind for someone else... and also when the individual is most likely to decide that what -xhe- has become represents the "ideal" expression of this community, precipitating a whole slew of 'advice' from the new 'master' about what the perfect representation of the concept looks like... and it -is- the perfect representation... for hir. Maybe there are people in the community of WIITWD who have ridiculous expectations. There are probably a lot of people who have expectations that are incompatible with what someone else is looking for, and that's pretty normal. There are probably a bunch of people who don't know why they're here, and some more who know why they're here and are seriously questioning their sanity... but if a person can stand here, be completely hirself, and still desire to be a part of the community, with all its ideosyncracies, I guess that's ok. I'm content in figuring that if someone doesn't want to be a part of the community, or doesn't resonate with what happens in an online community of this scope, xhe'll toddle off to where xhe feels better. I'll offer what insights I've garnered, and trust that the person on the other end of the screen will either take them or leave them, as suits hir situation, and that suits me just fine. I'll continue to expect what I expect, and sometimes I'll be disappointed, but that's just the way things go sometimes. At other times, I'll be pleasantly surprised when my expectations are exceeded, and I hope to be able to do my damndest to not take those times for granted. I am who I am. Some will like it, some will hate it, and some won't give a tinker's damn about me one way or the other, and that suits just fine. I have my preferences, usually molded by my experiences just like everyone else, but I hope I've had the opportunity to modify them with some chosen learning -- something I made the effort to go out and hunt. It may not be truth, but it's as close as suits me.
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*** Said to me recently: "Look, I know you're the "voice of reason"... but dammit, I LIKE being unreasonable!!!!" "Your mind is more interested in the challenge of becoming than the challenge of doing." Jon Benson, Bodybuilder/Trainer
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